


Fateful Friendship

by marshie_marshmallow



Series: Weasley Home for Wayward Wixen [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Hogwarts Mystery
Genre: Black Hermione Granger, Gen, Indian Harry Potter, brief appearances by others - Freeform, seriously im not tagging everyone's bit parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 20:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15848358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshie_marshmallow/pseuds/marshie_marshmallow
Summary: “So that's where You-Know-Who-”“Yes,” Harry says, “but I can't remember it.”“Oh.” Ron wants to ask more but that feels like it would be too close to when people askhimabout the explosion that killed his parents. He stares out the window instead, trying not to be rude.





	Fateful Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not writing these fics in any kind of chronological order tbh
> 
> hit me up on tumblr @purplespacefairy if you wanna talk about the au

Ron Weasley has five older brothers and one younger sister.

It sometimes feels like he has a lot more than that, though.

There's Nora, who moved in with them the moment she came of age, not even waiting until she had graduated and is always the one to heal their injuries. Tonks and Tulip, who the twins admire _far_ too much for Bill to be comfortable with. Rowan, who is always happy to help Percy or the twins with holiday homework (even if the twins complain viscerally about having to do it at all). Penny, who keeps their supply of potions and ingredients stocked. Andre is always the first person they call when they need someone with tailoring skills (not to mention he occasionally lets them use his broom, which is far superior to the old ones in the shed). There are others, too, who were in school with Bill and Charlie and now drift in and out of the house, offering help in whatever way they can.

It's been this way for a while. Sure, most of them were still in school until this past June and he _did_ live with various cousins and aunts and uncles while Bill finished Hogwarts but they would still drop by a few times every summer even back then. Whenever they go to Diagon Alley for school shopping (Bill always insists on bringing everyone along), two or three assorted friends would be there to greet them. The money in their vault, even if his brothers don't like to talk about it, mostly comes from these friends. Ever since the first Christmas after Mum and Dad died, he and his siblings have gotten gifts signed as being from 'A Friend' but everyone knows who they're really from.

Nora says she feels obligated to help when her friends are in trouble. She says it's because she was a Hufflepuff.

Ron thinks that if he isn't sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of his family tonight, Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad. (Not that he could make it into Ravenclaw, since he's not very smart. He still doesn't trust Slytherin, either, even if Liz and Barnaby were Slytherins.)

They're all shoved into the Ford Anglia right now, him and Fred and George and Percy and Ginny. Charlie and Nora are in the front, with Nora driving. Bill has his new job (some kind of office work at Gringotts), so he wasn't able to come along.

“Ginny, your elbow's digging into my side,” he complains. She glares at him, but moves her arm anyway before going back to staring out the window.

Percy is lecturing the twins on misbehavior again. They're not even at school yet and he's already being way too serious about the prefect thing.

Nora laughs from the front seat. “Perce, lighten up a little bit. Give your brothers some breathing space.”

“Just because _you_ disregarded your duties as prefect-”

“I did no such thing. I actually took my duties very seriously. Besides, you don't _have_ any duties as prefect until the meeting on the train.”

Percy opens his mouth as if to continue arguing, closes it, and then settles back in his seat.

They pull into the parking lot of King's Cross Station and Nora parks the car, a little crookedly. “Alright, everyone out.”

Ron follows Ginny out and waits for Charlie to hand him his trunk.

Nora's already on track lecturing everyone on what to do as they walk into the station. “Remember, if there's anything you need, just send a letter home with one of the school owls. We'll get it back to you. Fred, George, you have your permission slips?”

They roll their eyes and reply in unison, “Yes, Nora.”

“Nora, you can calm down any time now,” Charlie says.

“We won't be around to help them this time!”

“Yes, but they can always send letters home when they need help. I think they're well aware of that.”

Ron's only half-listening as he looks around the station. He's seen it before, of course, when Bill, then Charlie, then Percy, then Fred and George all went off to Hogwarts. This'll be first time _he's_ leaving on the Express, though. He's excited, of course, but a little nervous too.

Ginny's got to stay home for another year, of course, and she's making sure that everyone knows how upset she is about that. “I want to go...” she whines (or it at least sounds rather whiny to Ron).

“Ah come on, Gin, cheer up,” George says.

As the twins do their best to cheer her up, Nora is trying her best to talk to Percy about how to take care of his siblings when he doesn't have the convenience of a large group of older students to help. By this point, they've reached the barrier and everyone is just waiting for Nora to be finished with her sudden panic over the fact that she won't physically be there to aid them anymore.

“Can we just go already?” Charlie asks. “Merlin's sake, we can have this conversation _on_ the platform. Instead of, you know, where the muggles could hear us.”

“Right, right,” Nora says. “I'll go first.”

Once Nora, Percy, and the twins are all through the barrier, they're approached by a scrawny boy with a snowy white owl and bright green eyes that pop out against his brown skin. “Um, excuse me,” he says. “I'm looking for Platform 9 ¾.”

Charlie frowns. “First year, then? You're by yourself?”

“Um, yes... My aunt and uncle dropped me off. They're muggles, so they wouldn't know how to find it either.”

“Right. Well... you see the pillar between platforms 9 and 10?” The boy nods. “You need to run straight at it. It's a barrier hiding Platform 9 ¾.”

The boy looks over at it. “Really?”

“Right, uh... Ron, do you think you could show him how to get through the barrier?”

Ron shrugs and runs through the barrier. It's nothing strange to him, but he supposes the kid must be muggleborn if he doesn't know how to find the platform. He said his aunt and uncle were muggles, didn't he? Not that it's Ron's concern, even if it's a little weird that his aunt and uncle wouldn't stick around to help him find the platform. What about his parents? Where were they?

“Oi! Ron!”

He stops to find he had walked right by Nora and the others. Blushing, he backs up to stand by her.

“Right. Is there anything I haven't been over? Let's see... It'd be nice if you could send a letter as soon as possible. Let us know how you're settling in and where you were Sorted...”

He tunes her out. She's way too overbearing. Earlier that summer, Percy had even gone so far as to accuse her of trying to take their mother's place.

She had gone to stay with Rowan after that. She came back after a week because the schedule she has with Bill and Charlie relies on them all living together so there'll always be someone at home while the others are at work. It had taken a lot longer for her and Percy to reconcile, though.

Eventually, Charlie pulls Nora away, reminding her that they need to board the train _before_ it's scheduled to leave.

Once they've boarded, Percy heads to the prefect's compartment while the twins run off to find their friends. Ron walks down the compartments until he finds one with only the boy from earlier inside, who agrees to let him join.

After brushing off the twins' offer to see Lee Jordan's tarantula, Ron turns back to the other boy.

“Are you really Harry Potter?"

Harry nods.

“Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes. And have you really got... you know...”

He points at Harry's forehead. Harry answers by pulling back his bangs to show the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead

“So that's where You-Know-Who-”

“Yes,” Harry says, “but I can't remember it.”

“Oh.” Ron wants to ask more but that feels like it would be too close to when people ask _him_ about the explosion that killed his parents. He stares out the window instead, trying not to be rude.

“Are all your family wizards?” Harry asks suddenly.

“Oh! Well... Yes. I think there's a squib somewhere on my mum's side but I've never really talked to him. He wasn't one of the cousins we got shuffled around to.”

“What do you mean?”

“... My parents died a couple years ago. Bill took over the family after he graduated but until then we lived with relatives. Nobody could really handle having all of us around so we moved around from relative to relative.”

“Oh... My parents are dead, too.” They sit in silence at that for a moment before Harry speaks again. “Is Bill the older redhead who was with you? The one who didn't board the train?”

“No, that's Charlie. Bill's at work now. He can finally get a proper job since Charlie and Nora graduated and can watch the house and Ginny now.”

“Oh. So you have... seven siblings?”

Ron's brow furrows before he realizes the cause of the confusion. “Oh. Nora's not related to us. She's just a friend of Bill and Charlie who lives with us and helps around the house and stuff. I have five brothers and one sister. And Nora.”

“I wish I had siblings.”

“Eh, it's not so great. Everyone expects me to live up to them. Bill was Head Boy. Charlie was a prefect and Quidditch Captain. Percy was just made prefect. The twins mess around a lot but they get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Even Nora was a prefect and popular in school. I'm expected to do as well as them but, if I do, it's no big deal because they did it first. Everything I get is hand-me-down, too, but then none of us really ever get anything new. Even Bill always buys secondhand. My robes used to be Bill's, the wand belonged to some old relative of mine at some point, all my books are old...”

Harry seems unfazed by this and starts talking about life with his aunt and uncle, where he had to wear his cousin's old clothes and never got proper birthday presents.

“... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort.”

Ron gasps.

“What?” Harry asks.

“You said You-Know-Who's name!” Ron says. “I'd have thought you, of all people-”

“I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name,” Harry interrupts. “I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet- I bet I'm the worst in the class.”

“You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough.”

They sit in silence for a while after that, until the trolley witch appears. Harry goes to buy off of it but Ron just pulls out the sandwiches Nora and Charlie had packed.

He unwraps them to find chicken, which is unsurprising. There's not much variety in the kinds of meat his siblings buy since they always go for what's cheapest (at least it's not corned beef). Unfortunately, none of them are very good at cooking so the chicken is pretty dry and not very flavorful but he eats it anyway since it wouldn't do to waste food.

It takes him a second to notice to Harry quietly pushing some of the pumpkin pasties towards him. “You can have some,” he says and Ron wants to protest but Harry looks _excited_ to be sharing his treats.

It would be rather foolish to waste the sandwiches but there _is_ a lot more food than Harry can eat by himself so Ron quietly takes one of the pasties.

Harry holds up one of the Chocolate Frogs. “What are these? They're not really frogs, are they?”

“No. But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa.”

“What?”

“Oh, of course, you wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. There's a few I'm missing but Agrippa and Ptolemy are probably the hardest to find.”

Harry opens the box to reveal a Dumbledore card, which disappoints Ron a bit.

“So, this is Dumbledore!” Harry says, in a tone that implies he knows nothing about the wizard.

“Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!” Ron replies. “Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa.” Harry nods, so Ron reaches over and picks one up. “Thanks.”

They spend a while just eating the candy and watching the scenery pass out the window. After a while, a somewhat chubby and round-faced boy opens their compartment door.

“Sorry,” he says, “but have you seen a toad at all?”

They shake their heads and the boy cries, “I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!”

“He'll turn up,” Harry tries to reassure him.

“Yes,” he replies, dejected. “Well, if you see him...” He turns around and leaves

“Don't know why he's so bothered,” Ron says. “If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Course, the only animals we have are our old owl, Errol, and Percy's rat, Scabbers.”

He's unwrapping another Chocolate Frog when the door opens again, this time by a black girl with bushy hair and overly-large front teeth.

“Has anyone seen a toad?” she asks. “Neville's lost one.”

“We've already told him we haven't seen it,” Ron replies.

She frowns. “Right. I'll keep looking then. You two should change into your robes, you know. I expect we'll be there soon.”

They watch as she leaves and turn back to each other.

After a minute, Harry asks, “What do your brothers do now that they've graduated anyway? … Also Nora, I guess.”

Ron sighs. “Nora works at a pub three nights a week and is training to be a Healer. Charlie is still looking for a job that'll take him – probably something with magical creatures – but he tutors kids in flying and teaches them to play Quidditch on weekends. Bill just got a job at Gringotts. Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the muggles. Someone tried to rob a high-security vault.”

Harry stares. “Really? What happened to them?”

“Nothing. That's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. They don't think they took anything, though. That's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it.”

There's another round of awkward silence after that, so Ron asks about Harry's favorite Quidditch team. When he admits he doesn't know about Quidditch, it leads to a lengthy explanation that gets interrupted by yet another person barging into their compartment.

“Is it true?” the blonde boy asks. “They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?”

“Yes,” Harry answers, glancing at the other two boys.

“Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,” the other boy says. “And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.”

Ron tries to hide his laugh at such a pretentious name with a cough, but Draco notices anyway.

“Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. But then they went and died on you, didn't they?”

Ron's face grows red and he considers pulling out his wand. Tonks and Tulip _had_ thought it would be wrong for him to show up at Hogwarts not knowing any basic jinxes to defend himself...

Malfoy turns back to Harry. “You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.” He holds it out his hand but Harry doesn't take it.

“I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,” he replies coolly.

Malfoy looks displeased at that response. “I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,” he says. “Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. Or his.” He jerks his head towards Ron. “They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you.”

Now Ron actually does pull out his wand. “Say that again.” He hopes he can remember which wand movement goes to which jinx before he gets pummeled. Practicing on Tulip wasn't anything like a real fight.

“Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?” Malfoy sneers.

“Unless you get out now,” Harry answers.

“But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some.”

Goyle reaches for the Chocolate Frogs, so Ron hopes he's got this right.

“ _Rictumsempra!_ ”

Goyle falls over in laughter and Ron's just glad he got the wand movement right that time. He had nearly used another that, when he thinks about it, might actually have been for the Knockback Jinx.

Malfoy and Crabbe look even madder but, before they can retaliate, an older student pushes her way in.

“Okay, break it up! _Finite Incantatem_ ,” she says, pointing her wand at Goyle. He stops laughing. “Whoever was not sitting in this compartment: out.”

Malfoy doesn't seem like he wants to get in a fight with someone who clearly has a few years on him, so he leaves with Crabbe and Goyle in tow. As he leaves, the girl from earlier walks back in.

“Alright,” the older girl says. “When Penny said 'check on you', I was really hoping I wouldn't walk in to find you fighting but here we are.”

Ron grumbles, ignoring the other girl's somewhat miffed reaction at the thought there had been a _fight_. “Hi, Beatrice.” He turns to Harry. “You've met Malfoy before?”

Harry very briefly explains that they met in Madam Malkin's robe shop.

“I've heard of his family,” Ron says, thinking of everything he'd heard about the Malfoys. “They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched.” He turns to the younger girl. “Can we help you with something?”

“She's not with you?” Beatrice asks. Ron and Harry shake their hands. “Then go back to your own compartment.” The girl huffs and leaves. “You two,” Beatrice continues, pointing at them with her wand. “Robes on. We'll be there soon.”

As she leaves, Harry turns to Ron. “Who was that?”

“Just a family friend,” he replies.

Beatrice pokes her head back in. “By the way, Ron, there's dirt on your nose. Might wanna get that.”

 


End file.
